Posts by cyber-sista

46

The message has changed . . . or am I wrong again?

by garybuss in

jw
friends

the message has changed.

now the message is "the society is the channel".

the end is nigh is dropped from #1 to about #5. .

cyber-sista

#13 Natural affection even towards family goes out the window if it divides your heart from the Org.

20+ years ago there was more emphasis on making a better family life (or so I was lead to believe). I was told I would be a better wife and mother if I belonged to the JW religion despite my unbelieving husband we could still have a good family life together. My unbelieving husband was also to be treated as a person of worth by the congo (the marriage is santified through the believer). I personally saw a gradual shift in that understanding over the years. Now the unbelieving mate is not so respected and many times is villianized from the platform. The last 5 years of my time in the Org were spent fighting to keep the Org from trashing my family and putting divisions between us. Terrible things were said to me in regards to my loving and functional relationship with husband and daughter (both unbelievers)..The statements made to me by those of position in the Org were very clear--it is now wrong to love your family unless they were a part of the Org...

9

The hate on this site is a hate only love can know...

by logansrun in

jw
friends

it has often been said that the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference.

so, do you "hate" the watchtower society?

could this "hate" be a concealed love?

cyber-sista

Is there a such a thing as hatred for wrong? A justified anger?

I agree with Jgnat on this one.

How could a person not feel a degree of justitified anger when they have been abused by this Organization? Whether this be emotional, mental or physical--loss of family, friends, finances and time-- we have been ripped off--it is a loss and some of us are still angry and greiving over it. We are only human.

cybs

166

Could This Be the Most Repellent Watchtower ....Ever?

by metatron in

jw
friends

you'll be getting the aug. 1 watchtower soon.

on it's rear cover, it has the following article:.

"the branch office of jehovah's witnesses in nigeria recently received a letter that, in part.

cyber-sista

Proplog, you wrote:

The reason this post continues is that I was looking for a vehicle to simultaneously get me to 1000 posts and get some attention. This board is hungry for someone they can lash out at. There are so many hate buttons you all can be played like a musical instrument.

So what you are saying is that for your own personal gain you were emotionally manipulating of all of us who are hurting our wounded and hurting out here??? Sounds like a WT ploy to me.

35

An honest question...

by TallTexan in

let me preface this by saying that what i'm asking is a legitimate question.

i'm not doubting anyone, or accusing anyone of lying, or being an a-hole (well, no more than usual).

if you have a legitimate response to my question, please post or pm me, but please do not throw rocks or otherwise abuse me because this is an honest question regarding molestation w/in the jw community.. i was an active jw for 25 years and have continued to be associated with my still-jw friends for ten years since.

cyber-sista

Talltex... Child molesting is a dark crime and not something talked about much in the light of day. I knew of 3 cases in my 20 years in the Org which were and had been covered over and 2 of these cases were known to very few people. The 3rd one was being covered up as quickly as possible--even though many knew about it the elders were putting stops to anyone talking about it.

Think of how long it took the crimes to come out in the Catholic church. We never even heard about child molesting some 25 years ago--no body talked about it in the media, etc. People who had experienced this crime in years past are just now getting brave enough to step forward when they see others doing the same. Programs such as the silent lambs is giving them the voice and the strength to do so.

166

Could This Be the Most Repellent Watchtower ....Ever?

by metatron in

jw
friends

you'll be getting the aug. 1 watchtower soon.

on it's rear cover, it has the following article:.

"the branch office of jehovah's witnesses in nigeria recently received a letter that, in part.

cyber-sista

The WTS should be sending HIS family money!
The WTS is the same as all the religions it despises and sneers at for THEIR amassed wealth and fancy buildings----except the "other religions" sponsor charities and soup kitchens that actually HELP people!

Right on Annie. I knew an inactive sister whose daughter told me her mom had run out of food to feed the kids. (I heard this after the fact as my heart would have moved me to bring her some food if I knew of the situation--I know many others here would feel the same) She approached an elder and was told that since she hadn't been attending meetings they weren't able to help her. In desperation she went to a food bank at another church. She felt really bad doing so, but the kids were hungry and she was a mom. The Org is greedy--no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

13

Face it - some people WANT to be a JW!

by Dawn in

jw
friends

after many many conversations with my family i've come to the conclusion that some people just want to be a witness.

they need that security of being told all the answers - of having their decisions made for them - and the tight social group they're involved in.. the truth is - it's much harder when you don't have all the answers and you have to think for yourself.

i guess some people just aren't ready to face that.

cyber-sista

Lady Lee--excellent thoughts--thank you .

and BubYes, I remember the courage it took as a young person to knock on doors and hope to no end that one of my classmates would not open the door because I also remember the courage it took to endure the teasing and ridicule at school. But I was young and did what I was told out of fear.

I personally think that my courage was mustered up by fear--the fear of God and the Org and it's members that kept me going from door to door and to all the meetings even though it was not in my heart to do so.

Just recently when a sister I have known for years called to see how I was doing and to offer her "encouragement." when I told her that I had not attended meetings for quite a while she really freaked on me and said "Meetings and field service are not optional in serving Jehovah, you cannot decide for yourself what is right and wrong!"

I have often thought about that comment "You can't decide for yourself what is right and wrong." Afterall this person was deciding it was right to allow the Organization to make all their decisions for them. But she had zealously dedicated many years of her life to the Org and being one of JWs is so a part of her identity now that I can't imagine her doing anything else with her life

7

Opinions of MEN?

by Sunspot in

the fds said;.

"the watchtower is not the instrument of any man or any set of men, nor is it published according to the whims of men.

no man's opinion is expressed in the watchtower.

cyber-sista

The WT magazine is the lawbbook of the JWs. I was made well aware of this when the elders gave me council using the magazines to tell me how I should live my life and feel about this or that. In the end I wrote the society and was sent another list of old WT articles in answer to my questions about the problems the elders were creating in my life. I began to wonder how I could apply these "old light" inconsistant articles to my life. The WT is the ever changing law-book of the JW religion--if (supposedly) God's word never changes then why would the WT? (For a person who is assuming the WT is from God.)

Opinions of men--YES!

13

Face it - some people WANT to be a JW!

by Dawn in

jw
friends

after many many conversations with my family i've come to the conclusion that some people just want to be a witness.

they need that security of being told all the answers - of having their decisions made for them - and the tight social group they're involved in.. the truth is - it's much harder when you don't have all the answers and you have to think for yourself.

i guess some people just aren't ready to face that.

cyber-sista

Yes, good insight. I know those in there who couldn't imagine doing anything else. The whole JW experience has become so a part of their identity I fear if they ever found out what it was really about the shock would be too great for them. The denial state of mind is their protection from the realities they are unable to face in life. Been there done that and got shocked to my senses in the end.

16

Are We Still Judgemental?

by Paradise Found in

jw
friends

.

has being or associating with jehovahs witnesses made you more or less judgemental of people?.

has it been wiser to be judgemental or less judgemental?

cyber-sista

In the Org we judged people worth by how hard they were working for the Org. I was always a lowly low hour publisher, so I judged myself as not so worthy. I think a lot JWs are hard on themselves because they are always made to feel like they aren't doing enough for the Org. Of course we were supposed to judge all that were "not of our kind" as wicked evil beings not even worthy of our association. I generally like people and feel sorry for those who have problems. I wasn't a very good JW because of that. But I was judgemental too in many ways and I still am, but now I judge for myself who I want to associate with and who I don't want to associate but using a whole different set of judgment rules.

34

Selling homes and property - pre-1975

by Bonnie_Clyde in

jw
friends

i just had a discussion with a relative who attended the district convention.

he gave me the booklet, "keep on the watch.

" according to him, the speaker who introduced the booklet talked about the people who were stumbled because of the change in understanding regarding "this generation.

cyber-sista

Before I became a witness I heard tales of my husbands cousin who was a witness. Though we never met the other relatives had a lot to say about this person. This was back in the 70s. I recall that this witness family had sold out and moved out to the boonies and were living in poverty. One relative had gone out to visit with them and said they were grinding up acorns as they were living off the land preparing for the end to come. I knew another witness couple in the 70s that had left good job and nice home to prepare themselves for what was to shortly come. So the urgency then must have been great--can only think the society was feeding it--where else would they have gotten the idea? Why I became a witness after that I will never know...